There are so many things in our household we can’t imagine our life without: air-conditioners, water heaters, humidifiers, and many other human-made miracles. One of them is a garbage disposal mechanism placed under the sink in the kitchen and designed to grind any big food remnants so that they don’t clog the pipes. That is a comparatively simple appliance that basically includes an electric motor and a flying wheel with grinding teeth. If maintained properly, a garbage disposal can serve for a number of years without an issue. However, similar to any other household device, some day you can expect your garbage disposal to stop working as it should or break down completely. When that happens, your first thought would be to call an appliance repair person or a plumber. While that is certainly an option, you can also try to fix the problem with your own hands first. Here is a list of possible troubles with your garbage disposal and tips on how you can put things right.
1. No signs of life from garbage disposal
If your garbage disposal seems to be absolutely dead, with no sound coming from it, it could be a power supply problem.
- First, make sure that the appliance is actually plugged in.
- If it is, your next step is to test the outlet that supplies power to the garbage disposal. Unplug the disposal, and plug in another appliance (anything will go). If you can turn it on, then the issue lies elsewhere.
- There is a small reset button on the bottom of the garbage disposal. It has the same function as a circuit breaker. Press it and see if the disposal is working again. If it isn’t, read on.
- Every household has a panel with circuit breakers for every electrical line in the home. Find the circuit breaker responsible for the power supply to the garbage disposal. It may have tripped. If it has, switch it off and on again. Test the appliance.
- If nothing helps, then the problem is more serious. Perhaps, the motor has burnt out. Unfortunately, the only solution in that case is to replace the whole unit.
2. You hear humming
You may hear a humming sound coming from the garbage disposal. The most likely explanation of that is that the flying wheel is stuck. That could be because a large piece of food such as a chicken bone is lodged between the shredder ring and the impellers. In that case, you need to remove the foreign body. If you continue using the appliance, you will ruin the motor.
- Cut the power supply to the garbage disposal in order to prevent electrocution (unplug and turn off the corresponding circuit breaker).
- Have a look inside the disposal. If you see something that blocks the impellers, take a pair of pliers and remove it (don’t do it with bare hands).
- In the center of the garbage disposal bottom, you will see a hole. Find a hex key (it might have been provided with the appliance) and fit it into that hole. Then, move the key back and forth several times to loosen the impellers. If you haven’t succeeded, take a wooden broom stick, put it against a blade and move it back and forth with effort.
- When the obstruction is gone, plug in the appliance, run tap water into the disposal, and turn it on and off quickly several times. That must send any remnants down the drain.
3. Slow draining
You may have noticed that the water remains in your sink for too long. That means that either the drain in your garbage disposal or one of the pipes is clogged and you need to remove the obstruction. To do that, disconnect the drain trap and remove the discharge drain. If you have found no blocking elements, take a sink auger and clear the pipe that goes into the wall. Don’t ever use chemicals to clear your pipes because that will put the garbage disposal out of order. Furthermore, you will fill your sink with substances that can affect your health.
4. Leaking
When you see the water below the garbage disposal, the first thing to do is to determine which part of the system is leaking. There are three places where leaks are common: at the dishwasher connection, at the discharge drainpipe, and at the sink flange. You might only need to tighten the faulty connection to solve the problem. Sometimes, you will have to replace the leaking dishwasher hose connected to the disposal. The mounting screws on the unit might also need replacement. Again, make sure that the power is off when you perform any operation with the appliance.
The garbage disposal under your sink is a simple yet important appliance that makes the kitchen work easier. You should regularly check it to see if it is working properly. You should also follow some basic maintenance guidelines. For example, run water before and after using the appliance and use cold (not hot) water while grinding food remnants. If something goes wrong with your garbage disposal, first try to identify the problem as described above and fix it yourself. If the issue is more serious, consider replacing the whole unit, but first call an appliance repair professional for a consultation.
